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Cumbria police say gran assault was 'prank that went wrong'

Published at 11:26, Thursday, 16 February 2012

A prank that went wrong led to a Cleator Moor man being arrested on suspicion of assaulting a grandmother in the town, police have confirmed.

The 26-year-old was arrested following an incident on Keir Hardie Avenue on Saturday night, in which a 58-year-old Cockermouth woman alleged she had been assaulted while putting her 14-month-old grand-daughter into a car.

However, the man has now been released without charge after it emerged during his police interview that he mistakenly believed the woman was a family member and wanted to play a prank on her.

This went wrong, says a police spokesperson, and the woman was left believing she had been the subject of an assault.

The spokesperson added: “The woman was badly shaken by the incident and reported it to the police. Officers quickly identified who was involved and were able to get his account and clarify what happened.

“The woman now accepts that this was a case of mistaken identity. No further action will be taken.”